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The meaning of Varlamov Alexander Egorovich in a brief biographical encyclopedia. Biography Biography of Varlamov Alexander Egorovich summary

Russian composer, singer (tenor) and vocal teacher. Born in Moscow on November 15 (27), 1801 in the family of an official. At the age of nine he was sent to St. Petersburg, where he studied music at the Court Singing Chapel, was a choir singer, and later the author of a number of spiritual compositions. At the age of 18 he was sent to Holland as a teacher of choristers of the Russian embassy church in The Hague. From 1823 he lived in St. Petersburg, where he taught at a theater school and for some time served as a chorister and teacher in the Chapel. During this period, he became close to M. I. Glinka, took part in the performance of his works, performed in public concerts as a conductor and singer.

The heyday of creativity falls on the Moscow period of Varlamov's life (1832-1844). A successful composer's debut in the play by A. A. Shakhovsky Roslavlev (1832) and work in theatrical genres contributed to Varlamov getting the position of assistant bandmaster (1832), and then "composer of music" with the orchestra of the Imperial Moscow Theaters. Varlamov wrote music for Shakespeare's "Hamlet" by order famous actor P.S. Mochalova (1837), staged in Moscow his ballets "Fun of the Sultan" (1834) and "The Cunning Boy and the Ogre" (1837), etc. In the early 1830s, the first romances and songs of Varlamov appeared; in total, he created more than 100 works of this genre, and among them are "Red Sundress", "What has become foggy, clear dawn", "Do not make noise, violent winds" (published in 1835-1837). Varlamov successfully performed as a singer, was a popular vocal teacher (he taught at the Theater School, Orphanage, gave private lessons), in 1849 he published his "Complete School of Singing"; in 1834–1835 he published the journal Aeolian Harp, which included romances and piano works, his own and other authors.

After 1845, the musician lived in St. Petersburg, where he moved in the hope of getting a job as a teacher in the Court Chapel, but for various reasons this plan did not materialize. He was a member of the St. Petersburg literary and art mugs; he became close friends with A. S. Dargomyzhsky and A. A. Grigoriev (two poems by this poet and a critic are dedicated to Varlamov). Varlamov's romances were performed in salons, and the famous Pauline Viardot (1821–1910) sang them in her concerts.

Varlamov died in St. Petersburg on October 15 (27), 1848. His memory was dedicated to Gurilev's romance "Memories of Varlamov", collective piano variations on the theme of his romance "The Stray Nightingale" (among the authors A. G. Rubinshtein, A. Genselt), as well as The Music Collection in Memory of A. E. Varlamov, published in 1851, included, along with the works of the late composer, romances by the most prominent Russian composers. In total, Varlamov created about two hundred romances and songs based on texts by more than 40 poets, a collection of arrangements folk songs The Russian Singer (1846), two ballets, music for at least two dozen performances (most of it has been lost).

Russian Civilization

VARLAMOV ALEXANDER EGOROVICH

Varlamov, Alexander Egorovich - famous Russian amateur composer. Born in Moscow on November 15, 1801; came from "Volosh", that is, Moldavian nobles. As a child, he passionately loved music and singing, especially church singing, and early began to play the violin by ear (Russian songs). At the age of ten, Varlamov entered the court chapel as a chorister. In 1819, Varlamov was appointed regent of the Russian court church in The Hague, where the sister of Emperor Alexander I, Anna Pavlovna, who was married to the Crown Prince of the Netherlands, then lived. Over theory musical composition Varlamov, apparently, did not work at all and remained with the meager knowledge that he could have taken out of the chapel, which at that time did not care at all about the general musical development of its pupils. In The Hague and Brussels then there was a beautiful French opera, with the artists of which Varlamov made acquaintance. Perhaps this is where he got his acquaintance with the art of singing, which gave him the opportunity to later become a good teacher of vocal art. Listening to Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", Varlamov was especially delighted by the skillful use of the Russian song "What was the fence for in the garden" in the finale of Act 2, which the Italian maestro, according to Varlamov, "well, masterfully brought into Polish." Having many acquaintances, especially among musicians and music lovers, Varlamov probably already formed the habit of a disorderly and scattered life, which prevented him from developing his composer talent properly. In 1823 Varlamov returned to Russia. According to some sources, he lived this time in St. Petersburg, according to others, less reliable, in Moscow. At the end of 1828 or the beginning of 1829, Varlamov began to fuss about a second admission to the singing chapel, and he brought two cherubic songs to Emperor Nicholas I - his first compositions known to us. On January 24, 1829, he was assigned to the chapel as a "great chorister", and he was entrusted with the duty of teaching minor choristers and learning solo parts with them. In December 1831 he was dismissed from the service in the choir, in 1832 he took the place of assistant conductor of the imperial Moscow theaters, and in 1834 he received the title of composer of music at the same theaters. By the beginning of 1833, a collection of nine of his romances (including one duet and one trio) appeared in print, with piano accompaniment, dedicated to Verstovsky: " Music album in 1833". By the way, this collection contains the famous romance "Don't sew for me, mother", which glorified the name of Varlamov and became famous in the West as a "Russian national song"and also another very popular romance"What has become foggy, the dawn is clear." In them, as in other issues of the collection, the merits and demerits of Varlamov's talent as a composer have already quite definitely affected: sincerity of mood, warmth and sincerity, obvious melodic talent, striving for characterization, expressed in rather diverse and sometimes difficult for that time accompaniments with attempts at sound painting, the national Russian flavor, more lively and bright than that of Varlamov's contemporaries and predecessors, and, at the same time, slovenly and illiterate composer's technique, lack of decoration and consistency of style, elementary form. For a correct assessment historical significance The first romances of Varlamov must be remembered that at that time we had only the romances of the brothers Titov, Alyabyev, Verstovsky, and only a little higher were the first romances of M.I. Glinka. Therefore, Varlamov's first romances occupied a prominent place in our vocal literature of that time and immediately became popular with all music lovers and admirers of nationality in its more accessible form. Varlamov retained the favor of the public in his further composing activity, which did not represent any noticeable development, but remained approximately at the same, once achieved, low level of technology and creativity. Varlamov's merit consisted in popularizing the national genre and in preparing the public for the perception in the future of more serious works of our national art music. Along with his service, he also taught music, mainly singing, often in aristocratic houses. His lessons and compositions were paid well, but, with the scattered lifestyle of the composer (who loved card game, behind which he sat all night), he often had to need money. Usually in such cases, he began to compose (always on the piano, on which he played mediocre, especially badly reading from the sight) and immediately sent the barely finished manuscript to the publisher to turn it into specie. With such an attitude to the matter, he could not rise above the level of a gifted amateur. In 1845, Varlamov again moved to St. Petersburg, where he had to live solely on his talent as a composer, singing lessons and annual concerts. Under the influence of a wrong way of life, sleepless nights playing cards, various griefs and hardships, his health deteriorated, and on October 15, 1848, he suddenly died at a card party of his friends. Varlamov left more than 200 romances (including 42 Russian folk songs, arranged by him for one voice and piano, of which 4 are Little Russian, a small number of works for 3 voices, three church works for the choir (Cherubic) and three piano pieces(march and two waltzes). The most famous of these works are: the romances "Red Sundress", "I'll Saddle a Horse" (both served as themes for Wieniawski's violin fantasy "Souvenir de Moscou"), "Grass", "Nightingale", "What has become foggy", "Angel", "Song of Ophelia ", "I'm sorry for you", "No, doctor, no", duets "Swimmers", "Don't you sing", etc. Many of them are now (especially in the provinces) willingly sung in amateurish circles, and romance music "The drum did not beat in front of the vague regiment," attached to another text ("You fell victim to the fatal struggle"), even received nationwide distribution. Varlamov also owns the first Russian "School of Singing" (Moscow, 1840), the first part of which (theoretical) is a remake of the Parisian school of Andrade, while the other two (practical) are independent and contain valuable instructions on vocal art that have not lost their significance and Now. - Varlamov's son, George, was born in 1825, performed in concerts as a singer and wrote a number of romances in the style of his father. For his other son, Konstantin, see Varlamov's daughter, Elena, also performed as a singer and composed (romances). - See S. Bulich "A.E. Varlamov" ("Russian Musical Newspaper", 1901 and separately), where other literature about Varlamov is also indicated. S. Bulich.

Brief biographical encyclopedia. 2012

Childhood

Alexander Yegorovich was born in Moscow in November 15 (27). 1801. His father was a petty official, and by his origin he went back to the Moldavian nobles. Already in early years he showed interest in musical art. He could play by ear without knowing musical notation, violin and guitar.

When the boy was ten years old, he entered the court chapel in St. Petersburg. Thanks to his talents and abilities, as well as beautiful singing, he easily managed to get there. The director of the chapel fell in love with little Alexander. D. S. Bortnyansky even gave young Varlamov private lessons, for which adulthood future composer was very grateful to him.

Biography

After graduating from the court chapel in 1819, Alexander Egorovich became a singing teacher at Orthodox Church in The Hague. This place can be called the beginning of his career. Varlamov begins to conduct activities as a conductor, singer and guitarist. Four years later, he returns to St. Petersburg, where he finds work in the theater as a singing teacher.

In 1829, he managed to get a job as a teacher in the court chapel. In 1832 he moved to Moscow. Thanks to his merits, he receives a place as an assistant conductor in the imperial theater. Alexander quickly enters social life, where it converges with many famous people that influenced his work. Among them, biographers single out A.N. Verstakova, M.S. Shchepkina, P.S. Mochalova and N.G. Tsyganov.

In 1833, all the attention of the elite was directed to the composer, since it was then that he released his first collection of romances. For the next two years he is the publisher of The Aeolian Harp. In that periodical new musical works were published not only by Varlamov himself, but also by others popular composers contemporaries.

In 1840 he first wrote and published pedagogical manual by singing. In The Complete School of Singing, he expounded his views and teaching methods. In 1843, he retired and left his position as "composer of music" in the imperial theater.

For the last three years of his life, he lives in St. Petersburg. Due to the severe material deprivations that haunted the composer all his life, his health was severely undermined. Alexander dies of tuberculosis in 1848.

Personal life

The composer had big family which he had to feed. From his first wife by 1840 he had four children: George, Nikolai, Elena and Pavel. After the death of his wife, he remarries in 1842 to Maria Alexandrovna Satina. From this marriage, he had three children: Dmitry, Maria, who died still young, and later the famous dramatic actor - Konstantin. Last child was born a few months after the death of Alexander Yegorovich.

Creation

The main genres that occupied the composer were lyric song and Russian romances. In his musical works you can see the imprint of the December events, as many romances are imbued with sadness, grief, as well as the desire for a better future and an escape from the disturbing present. Concerning vocal works Varlamov, many of them reflected the influence of "urban folklore". In his romances, a dance rhythm is clearly traced.

famous works

Red sundress;
Nightingale;
Poet;
Mountain peaks;
A lone sail turns white, etc.

During the life of the composer, 43 of his songs were published.
In total, the musician created more than 200 works.
Gypsy folklore had a great influence on Varlamov's work.
Varlamov wrote songs and romances to the verses of M.Yu.

Orthodox calendar

Sermon

Gospel reading:
Mk. 10:32-45
OK. 7:36-50

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

In this world there is a concept of time. We, adults, feel it and know that something must happen now. The liturgy could have ended about fifteen minutes ago by the time - at this time I usually finish the sermon. Apparently, there is not much time left for me to say something now.

Today I wanted to talk about St. Mary of Egypt. About her feat, about the labors that she suffered after terrible falls, fornication. Then, after fragmentation and internal dismemberment, it reached a height. Being illiterate, she could recite the Holy Scriptures by heart. These are certain heights that we have not yet reached. Before us is an example of a stunning ascent up the ladder of virtue - from the depths of hell, from fornication in its basest impulses. Note that in the life it is described in a very dignified form. As Mary told the elder Zosima: “I don’t want to embarrass you, father, and in my memory I myself don’t want to raise that abyss, stir up the past.” This is a culture of repentance, we must learn from it. I wanted to talk about this today, but I will talk about something else.

I want to say that I rejoice that here, on the Compound, various works in their own way bear the most different people. They come here to give their strength. We have several choirs: a concert choir, a boys' choir, a choir of maidens and maidens, there are also very young maidens who have begun to sing quite recently. There are women who have been singing for three years and have never sung before. If you count everyone, you get about a hundred people. There is a saying: "I will sing to my God as long as I am." Today's Liturgy is priceless. Today the sacrament of contact of heart with heart took place. I want to put it in my soul, it is very expensive. Therefore, I push back the boundaries of time and words, I leave the formal moments of haste.

I rejoice that the Lord gives us a treasure that is important to cherish. At the same time, it is important to be attentive to upbringing: today I asked two youths to linger and took communion last. Again, nothing new: we read today in the Gospel about how the two apostles wanted to be first. And here are two youths: which of them will approach the Chalice first? So they argued among themselves that they did not see anyone around. But the apostles John and James, who wanted to be the first, are now in the saints, and our boys came to the Chalice - however, the last.

The life of St. Mary of Egypt is an example of climbing the ladder of virtue, which I would like to wish all of you. I rejoice with you and on this I will say: “Amen!”.

Archpriest Andrey Alekseev

Composer Alexander Egorovich Varlamov

November 27, 1801 was born Alexander Egorovich Varlamov- the author of about two hundred songs and romances (among them - the famous "Red Sundress", "Along the street a snowstorm sweeps ...", "A lone sail is whitening ...", "Mountain peaks ..."), spiritual works, two ballets, music for theatrical performances, where he himself acted as a theater conductor; connoisseur choral singing, an excellent singer and a wonderful vocal teacher, author of the book "The Complete School of Singing", as well as a performer on the violin, guitar, cello and piano.

The circle of authors whose poems were set to music by Varlamov is very wide: more than forty poets, including Pushkin and Lermontov, Zhukovsky and Delvig, Polezhaev and Timofeev, Tsyganov and others. Varlamov opens for Russian music the works of Koltsov, Pleshcheev, Fet, Mikhailov; writes music for translations from Goethe, Heine, Beranger.

Alexander Egorovich Varlamov - a composer with a changeable creative destiny: on the one hand, recognized during his lifetime as a brilliant master of the romance (both composer and performer), on the other hand, shortly after his death, he was betrayed by blasphemy, accusations of bad taste and banality (even the offensive word "Varlamovshchina" appeared in everyday life).

But time puts everything in its place. And today A. Varlamov's romances continue to sound, captivating us with the expressiveness of the melodies and the sincerity of the feelings conveyed in them.

Alexander Yegorovich Varlamov was born into the family of a retired lieutenant, a modest titular adviser Yegor Ivanovich Varlamov. The boy's musical talent manifested itself early - in a love of singing, playing the violin and guitar.

At the age of nine, Alexander was appointed to the St. Petersburg Court Singing Chapel as a "juvenile chorister". The excellent voice and bright abilities of the boy interested the famous Russian composer D.S. Bortnyansky, the director of the chapel, and he began to study with the little singer separately. Subsequently, in letters and notes, Varlamov always remembered his teacher with gratitude.

During the years of study in the chapel, Alexander discovered not only outstanding singing, but also pedagogical abilities and was noted in 1819 by being transferred from the chapel to serve in Brussels, to the court Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, who became the wife of Crown Prince William of Orange. After William's coronation to the Dutch throne, Varlamov moved to The Hague, where he became regent in the Russian embassy church.

A world of new impressions opens before an eighteen-year-old boy: he is imbued with the strict beauty of Dutch painting and architecture, gets acquainted with French and Italian opera, performs publicly as a singer and guitarist. His speeches were written about in the newspapers.

Having mastered colloquial French, Varlamov talks with foreign musicians O vocal art. Then, by his own admission, he "deliberately studied the theory of music."

In The Hague, Alexander Yegorovich meets his future wife- Anna Pakhomovna Shmatkova, daughter of the valet at the court of Anna Pavlovna.

In 1823 Varlamov returned to Russia, to St. Petersburg. He teaches at the Petersburg theater school, studies with the singers of the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments. At the end of 1828, the young musician began to fuss about re-entering the singing chapel, and brought two Cherubic songs to Emperor Nicholas I - the first of his compositions known to us.

On January 24, 1829, he was appointed to the chapel among the "great choristers"; he was also entrusted with the duty of teaching young singers and learning solo parts with them. In the hall of the Philharmonic Society, Varlamov gives his first concert in Russia, where he conducts symphonic and choral works and acts as a singer. Meetings with M. Glinka played a significant role in the life of the novice composer - they contributed to the formation of views young musician for the development of Russian art.

The heyday of Varlamov's composing talent falls on the Moscow period. In 1832, he received an invitation to the post of assistant chief bandmaster of the Moscow theaters (Bolshoi and Maly), then became a "composer of music." Alexander Yegorovich quickly entered the circle of the Moscow artistic intelligentsia: among his acquaintances at that time were the actors M. Shchepkin, P. Mochalov, composers A. Gurilev, A. Verstovsky, singer A. Bantyshev. There is evidence indicating that in Moscow A. Varlamov met with Pushkin. Great interest in the work of A. Varlamov is shown famous pianists of that time - the authors of piano arrangements of his romances F. Langer, A. Dubuc and the famous J. Field. There are stories about F. Liszt's interest in Varlamov's work.

“Music needs a soul,” wrote Alexander Varlamov, “but the Russian has it, the proof is our folk songs.”

During these years, the composer composes his most famous romances that glorified his name - for example, "Red Sundress". A. Pushkin, P. Viardot, F. Liszt, A. Dargomyzhsky admired this romance. It was enough for Varlamov to write this one work, as well as for Alyabyev - "The Nightingale", in order to forever remain in the history of Russian musical culture.

While working in the theatre, Varlamov writes music for dramatic productions (“Two-wife” and “Roslavlev” by Shakhovsky; “Prince Serebryany” based on the story “Attacks” by Bestuzhev-Marlinsky; “Esmeralda” based on the novel “Notre Dame Cathedral” by Hugo, “Hamlet” by Shakespeare) . The production of "Hamlet" became an outstanding event cultural life Moscow. V. Belinsky, who attended this performance seven times, enthusiastically wrote about Polevoy's translation, Mochalov's performance as Hamlet, and the song of the insane Ophelia...

Alexander Varlamov lived in Moscow until 1845. Here his talent was most fully revealed - both writing and performing. He often performed in concerts and was always a welcome participant in musical and literary evenings. Varlamov had a small but very beautiful tenor voice. His singing was distinguished by rare musicality and sincerity. “He inimitably expressed ... his romances,” wrote one of his friends.

He was also widely known as a vocal teacher. His "Complete School of Singing" (1840) - the first major work in Russia in this area - has not lost its significance even now.

The last years of Varlamov's life were spent in St. Petersburg. Here he became friends with A. Dargomyzhsky. They were brought together by a commonality of views on the art of singing as the most direct and understandable way for everyone to express thoughts and feelings.

Shortly before his death, Varlamov began publishing the music magazine "Russian Singer", the contents of which were arrangements for voice and piano of Russian and Ukrainian folk songs.

A poem by A. Grigoriev, a romance by A. Gurilev “Reminiscence of Varlamov”, collective piano variations on the theme of his romance “A Nightingale by the Stray” (among the authors - A. G. Rubinstein, A. Genselt), and also published in 1851 “Music collection in memory of A.E. Varlamov”, which included, along with the works of the late composer, romances by the most prominent Russian composers.

Varlamov's romances were used big love the Moscow public and instantly scattered throughout the city. A close friend of Varlamov, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater A. Bantyshev, for a long time begged the composer to write a romance for him.

- What do you like?

- Whatever you want, Alexander Yegorovich ...

- Fine. Come back in a week.

Varlamov wrote very lightly, but, being an extremely unassembled person, he was going to get to work for a very long time.

A week later, Bantyshev comes - there is no romance.

“There was no time,” Varlamov throws up his hands. - Come tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the same. But the singer was a stubborn man and began to come to Varlamov every morning, when the composer was still sleeping.

- What are you, really, - once Varlamov was indignant. - The man is sleeping, and you appear, one might say, at dawn! I'll write you a romance. He said - I will write, and I will write!

- Tomorrow? Bantyshev asks caustically.

- Tomorrow, tomorrow!

In the morning the singer, as always, is. Varlamov is sleeping.

“This is for you, Mr. Bantyshev,” the servant says and hands over to the early guest a new romance, which was destined to become famous throughout Russia.

The romance was called "At dawn, you don't wake her."

T.A. Medvedev

(1801-1848)

Romances and songs of Alexander Egorovich Varlamov - a bright page of Russian vocal music. A composer of remarkable melodic talent, he created works of great artistic value, which won rare popularity. Who does not know the melodies of the songs "Red Sundress", "Along the street a snowstorm sweeps" or the romances "A lonely sail turns white", "At dawn, do not wake her up"? As a contemporary rightly remarked, his songs "with purely Russian motifs have become popular." The famous "Red Sarafan" was sung "by all classes - both in the living room of a nobleman and in a peasant's chicken hut", and was even captured in a Russian popular print. Varlamov's music is reflected in fiction: his romances, as a characteristic element of everyday life, are introduced into the works of Gogol, Turgenev, Nekrasov, Leskov, Bunin and even the English author J. Galsworthy (the novel "The End of the Chapter"). However, the fate of Alexander Varlamov was less happy than the fate of his songs.

Alexander Egorovich Varlamov was born into a poor family. His musical talent manifested itself early: he self-taught learned to play the violin - he picked up folk songs by ear. The beautiful, sonorous voice of the boy identified him further fate: at the age of 9 he was admitted to the St. Petersburg Court Singing Chapel as a minor chorister. In this famous choral group Varlamov studied under the direction of the director of the chapel of the outstanding Russian composer Bortnyansky. Soon Varlamov became a choir soloist, learned to play the piano, cello, and guitar.

In 1819, the young musician was sent to Holland as a chorister teacher in the Russian embassy church in The Hague. A world of new impressions opens before the young man: he often attends opera, concerts, performs publicly as a singer and guitarist. Then, by his own admission, he "deliberately studied the theory of music." Upon his return to his homeland (1823), Varlamov taught at the St. Petersburg Theater School, studied with the singers of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, then again entered the Singing Chapel as a chorister and teacher. Soon, in the hall of the Philharmonic Society, he gives his first concert in Russia, where he conducts symphonic and choral works and performs as a singer. Meetings with Glinka played a significant role - they contributed to the formation of independent views of the young musician on the development of Russian art.

In 1832, Alexander Egorovich Varlamov was invited as an assistant conductor of the Moscow Imperial Theatres, then received the position of "composer of music". He quickly entered the circle of the Moscow artistic intelligentsia, among which there were many talented people, versatile and brightly gifted: actors Shchepkin, Mochalov; composers Gurilev, Verstovsky; poet Tsyganov; writers Zagoskin, Field; singer Bantyshev. They were brought together by a passion for music, poetry, folk art.

« Music needs a soul", - wrote Alexander Varlamov, - " but the Russian has it, the proof is our folk songs". During these years, he composes “Red Sundress”, “Oh, it hurts, but it hurts”, “What kind of heart is this”, “Do not make noise, violent winds”, “What has become foggy, clear dawn” and others included in the “Music Album on 1833" and glorified the name of the composer. While working in the theatre, Varlamov writes music for dramatic productions (“Two-wife” and “Roslavlev” by Shakhovsky - the second based on the novel by M. Zagoskin; “Prince Silver” based on the story “Attacks” by Bestuzhev-Marlinsky; “Esmeralda” based on the novel “The Cathedral Notre Dame of Paris Hugo, Shakespeare's Hamlet). The staging of Shakespeare's tragedy was an outstanding event. V. Belinsky, who attended this performance 7 times, enthusiastically wrote about Polevoy's translation, Mochalov's performance as Hamlet, about the song of the insane Ophelia...

Ballet also interested Varlamov. Two of his works in this genre - "The Sultan's Fun, or the Slave Seller" and "The Cunning Boy and the Cannibal", written together with Guryanov based on Perrault's fairy tale "The Boy with a Finger", were on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The composer also wanted to write an opera - he was fascinated by the plot of Mickiewicz's poem "Konrad Wallenrod", but the idea remained unrealized.

Varlamov's performing activity did not stop throughout his life. He systematically performed in concerts, most often as a singer. The composer had a small, but beautiful tenor in timbre, his singing was distinguished by rare musicality and sincerity. " He inimitably expressed ... his romances' one of his friends remarked.

Alexander Varlamov was also widely known as a vocal teacher. His "School of Singing" (1840) - the first major work in Russia in this area - has not lost its significance even now.

Varlamov spent the last three years in St. Petersburg, he hoped to again become a teacher in the Singing Chapel, but this desire did not come true. Widespread fame did not protect him from poverty and disappointment. Alexander Egorovich Varlamov died of tuberculosis at the age of 47.

Varlamov wrote about 200 romances and songs (including ensembles). The circle of poets-authors of words is very wide: Pushkin, Lermontov, Zhukovsky, Delvig, Polezhaev, Timofeev, Tsyganov. Varlamov discovers Koltsov, Pleshcheev, Fet, Mikhailov for Russian music. Like the composer Dargomyzhsky, he was one of the first to turn to Lermontov; he was also attracted by translations from Goethe, Heine, Beranger.

Alexander Egorovich Varlamov is a lyricist, a singer of simple human feelings, his art reflected the thoughts and aspirations of his contemporaries, was in tune with the spiritual atmosphere of the era 1830s "Thirst for a storm" in the romance "The lonely sail turns white" or the state of tragic doom in the romance "It's hard, there is no strength." The trends of the time were reflected in the romantic aspiration, and in the emotional openness of Varlamov's lyrics. Its range is quite wide: from light, watercolor paints in the landscape romance “I love to look at a clear night” to the dramatic elegy “You are gone”.The work of Alexander Varlamov is inextricably linked with the traditions of everyday music, with folk song. Deeply soiled, it subtly reflects her musical features- in the language, in the subject, in the figurative system.

belcanto.ru ›varlamov.html

Interesting Facts

famous romance

Varlamov's romances enjoyed great love of the Moscow public and instantly scattered throughout the city. Varlamov's close friend Bantyshev, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, begged the composer for a long time to write a romance for him.
- What do you like?
- Whatever you want, Alexander Yegorovich ...
- Fine. Come back in a week. Varlamov wrote very lightly, but, being an extremely unassembled person, he was going to get to work for a very long time.
A week later, Bantyshev comes - there is no romance.
“There was no time,” Varlamov throws up his hands. - Come tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the same. But the singer was a stubborn man and began to come to Varlamov every morning, when the composer was still sleeping.
- What are you, really, - once Varlamov was indignant. - The man is sleeping, and you appear, one might say, at dawn! I'll write you a romance. I said, I'll write, and I'll write!
- Tomorrow? - Bantyshev asks caustically.
- Tomorrow, tomorrow!
In the morning the singer, as always, is. Varlamov is sleeping.
“This is for you, Mr. Bantyshev,” the servant says and hands over to the early guest a new romance, which was destined to become famous throughout Russia.
The romance was called "At dawn, you don't wake her!"

birdie

Varlamov was a kind and unconceited man. Expelled from the Bolshoi Theater, he was left without a job and without a penny of money. Being the father of a large family that had to be supported and fed somehow, the composer and favorite of the Moscow public, not without difficulty, took a very modest position as a singing teacher in an orphanage.
- Is it your business? After all, you are the first celebrity in Moscow. You don't remember yourself at all! - his friend, the tragic poet Mochalov, reprimanded Varlamov.
“Ah, Pasha, there is a lot of pride in you,” the composer replied. - I sing like a bird. sang in Bolshoi Theater- Fine. Now I will sing with orphans - is it bad? ...

classic-music.ru ›varlamov.html

Chamber choir from St. Petersburg. An interesting article-investigation by Valentin Antonov "History of one song": http://www.vilavi.ru/pes/nich/nich1.s ...

What is clouded, the dawn is clear,
Has fallen to the ground with dew?
What did you think girl red,
Did your eyes sparkle with tears?

I'm sorry to leave you, black-eyed!
Peven hit with a wing,
He shouted! .. It's already midnight! .. Give me a deep charm,
Get drunk with wine!
Time!.. Lead me your beloved horse,
Hold tight by the bridle!
They go with goods on their way from Kasimov
Murom forest merchants!

They have a sewn blouse for you,
Fox fur coat!
You will walk all drenched in gold,
Sleep on swan down!
A lot for your lonely soul,
I will buy a lot of clothes!
Is it my fault that you, black-eyed,
More than a soul, I love!

PRAYER

Words by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov (1814-1841)

I, the Mother of God, now with a prayer
Before Your image, bright radiance,
Not about salvation, not before the battle,
Not with gratitude or repentance,

I do not pray for my desert soul,
For the soul of a wanderer in the light of the rootless, -
But I want to give an innocent virgin
Warm intercessor of the cold world.

Surround with happiness a worthy soul,
Give her companions full of attention
Youth is bright, old age is deceased,
Peace of hope for a gentle heart.

Is the time of farewell approaching
In a noisy morning, in a silent night -
You perceive went to the sad bed
The best angel of a beautiful soul.

Music by Alexander Egorovich Varlamov.

Performed by Oleg Evgenievich Pogudin.

Paintings shown Vasily Grigorievich Perov (1833-1882); :
1. "Guitarist-bobyl";
2. "Christ and the Mother of God by the sea of life";
3. "Wanderer";
4. "Wanderer";
5. "Girl throwing herself into the water";
6. "Drowned";
7. "Seeing the dead";
8 "The return of the peasants from the funeral in winter";
9. "Orphans in the cemetery";
10. "Troika" ("Apprentices artisans carry water");
11. "Scene on the grave";
12. "Wanderer in the field."